


Johnny the Earthling gets plunged into Fire Embem Rekka no Ken

by JohnnyTheWriter



Series: Elibe's youngest tactician [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Lyndis's Legion, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 02:42:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20807189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnnyTheWriter/pseuds/JohnnyTheWriter
Summary: Johnny, a 13-year old boy living in Italy, despite having a great family that loves him, can't help but feel lonely, which leads him to stay indoors days on end, and what better way to make time pass than by playing video-games? One day he wants to try something new, a game called Fire Emblem. Johnny never would have guessed that this game… would be the beginning of it all.





	1. The portal

In one of the many condominiums of Italy resided a boy. He had light blond hair and blue eyes and had been living in Italy ever since he and his family had moved there from their home country.

The school year had just ended 4 days prior, and the boy found himself in his room, downloading something called an emulator on his computer, which served to allow him to play video-games from older consoles.

The reason for this is that he wanted to try and play video games that he had never even touched before (not that it was that difficult to do since all those he had some modicum of experience with were some Super Mario and Pokémon games for the Nintendo Wii and DS).

He could vaguely recall seeing a Let's Play on Youtube of some game called Fire Emblem Path of Radiance two years prior, but he had soon forgot all about it. The boy could vaguely recall it being a strategy game, and that he had liked the story and characters immensely (from what little he had seen).

He had tried with all of his might to download the game, but alas, he had been unable to set up his computer for the Gamecube emulator appropriately.

In spite of this, years of wandering on Youtube, trying to find good Let's Plays, had taught him not to give up on such occasions, hence why he currently found himself downloading VirtualBoy Advance instead.

Now he only needed a Rom, so he started looking for a Fire Emblem game on that console. He didn't know how he knew there would be one of those games for the GBA, and not for the GameCube. He just had a feeling.

The boy found a Rom almost immediately. Its name was simply "Fire Emblem". He went ahead and downloaded it without even looking at the image.

Sure, there might've been viruses, but the boy had faith there wouldn't be. It was as if that feeling from earlier refused to leave him.

He was so excited! He was finally going into a new game all blind by himself and not by watching another Youtuber do so! Ooh boy, download complete! Now to start!

-O-

With the ROM booted up one minute late, the boy was greeted by a shaky image of humans alongside some beasts appearing on the screen. The text below read:"Once dragons and men coexisted"

_ All right, that's cool_

"They shared a peace forged in wisdom, a peace that lasted many generations."

The image had now become a fiery red, and the music, which until now had been mystical-sounding, had become a little tragic.

"All that was lost when mankind disrupted this balance in a sudden onslaught."

At this the boy found himself rolling his eyes: of course, it was humans, they never seemed to know how to just cope with what they had. Sure, he liked to see the best in people, but they could also be very bad. The news on TV proved it.

"Man fought dragon in a savage war that shook the foundations of their world. This war was called the Scouring. Defeated and humbled, dragons vanished from the realm. In time, man rebuilt and spread his dominion across the land and on to the islands beyond."

_ Oh no, that's tragic._

All of a sudden, the image became bright and the text now read: "A millennium has passed since those dark days ended" and the music started to pick up, the computer also started to shake violently, along with the mahogany wooden desk it was standing on.

The boy was at a loss as to what to do when, all of a sudden, he found himself getting sucked into the screen.

The last thing he recalled before entering his computer was his mother's distant voice, telling him to lower the volume.

Now, all he could see was a space with a melody that sounded as if it was a mere echo in the background.

_Could this be the title screen theme? _

_If so, it's bloody awesome!_

All around him was a blue kind of wall with some mysterious writing on it.

It felt as if he was going down a big slide: he could not stop, nor could he control his movement.

In front of him were the words "FIRE EMBLEM" with a sword and an axe going through them.

After a while those two words disappeared into thin air, leaving the spotlight for a blue bar on which "New Game" could be read.

"What now?"- he asked himself, not knowing how to move in that vortex that had now stopped moving.

_Ooh, maybe I can try and swim like Mario did to enter the Dream World in the game that came out earlier this year!_

_What do you know? It worked!_

Slowly he swam through the air towards the bar and went ahead to touch it with his right hand, when, all of a sudden, a female voice resonated and said:

"Good afternoon, young man. Welcome. Your role will be that of a tactician, do you understand?"

The boy slowly nodded his head, unsure of what was she was going on about.

"Good, now please tell me your name."

"My name is... Johnny."- the boy slowly answered.

"Why the hesitation? It's not as if the name is fake, right?"- the voice questioned in a curious tone.

"Wait, how would you even know that?! Who are you?"

"I fear I cannot give you the information you seekest as of yet."- the woman-like entity answered in a mock-serious tone.

_Why can I totally imagine this woman winking at me right now?_

"Excuse me, lady, but I don't recall signing up for this. Last time I checked this wasn't a virtual reality game. Why are we even... standing (?)... here (Where even is this?)... discussing on our identities? I just wanted to play a new game and-"

"I merely came here to help you grant your wish an-"

"W-wait. What wish are you talking about? What about my world?"- Johnny asked shakily. She couldn't possibly know about his deepest secret, could she?

"Oh, don't you worry. It will be as if you were gone for just a second. Moreover, during your stay in Elibe, you will not age at all. It wouldn't do to worry your family over your wish, now would it?"

"Oh, all right."- the boy replied, relieved that his absence will not be considered long.

"Wait, why do you keep going on about a wish of mine? I'm telling you, I only wanted to play a new game!"

"Do you really want me to voice it out loud for you, Johnny?"

"Please, could you tell me more about this Elibe place?"- he asked, eager on changing the subject. Despite this personal invasion, he really couldn't wait to get started! He would be seeing many new places, just like his favorite teacher had done in her eventful life! And maybe, just maybe, the voice would forget about his "wish".

Wait. Was that a chuckle in the background?

"Oh, my dear boy, I think not. Where would the surprise be, after all?"

"B-but but... you can't just plunge me into this willy-nilly! Please tell me something at the very least!"- the boy demanded with his hands in a prayer-like position.

"Ok, fine. Catch this!"

The next instant Johnny had in his hands a dark green robe with a hood attached. Along the outer areas of the tunic were some lines of a lighter green.

"Wow, neat!"- the boy said, sporting a grin. He couldn't wait to see how he looked in it.

"Glad you like it! Now, I believe you are ready to enter my world."

"W-w-wait! I don't even know your name! Where are you even sending me?! "- Johnny asked frantically, beginning to panic.

The voice's response was: "You will find out sooner or later. As for your second question, let's see... yeah, they should do. Ahem! Johnny, prepare to enter Elibe via... The Plains of Sacae!"

"N-no. W-wait!"

But his cries fell on deaf ears, as the vortex around him started to blind him with a bright light. The next instant the boy knew no more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, there, everyone. Hope you like what you've read so far! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments!


	2. Awakening in a new world

All Johnny could see was pitch black darkness, silence in all four directions. Is this what unconsciousness felt like? Was the portal even real, or would he find himself to awaken to a boring and lonely reality once more, finding that it had been all a dream?

His bemused state was suddenly disrupted by a different voice from the one before asking:

"Hey, are you awake?"

It was at that moment that the boy started to feel as if he was being gently nudged. Emitting a light groan, Johnny opened his eyes.

Needless to say, he found himself surprised at the sight of a girl whose eyes and hair both bore a dark green colour, leaning in front of the bed he was staying in with a brown bowl in her hands and a gentle smile.

"I found you unconscious on the plains"- the girl added while all Johnny could do was stare. He was mesmerised by her beauty. Someone who would've had green hair such as hers back in his world would not have looked as pretty as her, not even remotely.

"Hey, you there?"- she asked again, now raising her left eyebrow, still smiling. To answer Johnny sat himself on the bed with some fatigue and, ignoring the wet towel that just fell from his head, he sported a childish grin, managing to say: "O-o-oh. S-sorry about that. I-i-it's just that…you're pretty!". Next thing he knew there was a light chuckle coming from her, making the boy blush from embarrassment.

"Why thank you, little guy! And who might you be?"- she enquired while sitting beside him with a smile on her face.

"I'm Johnny. Nice to meet you!"- he responded, while also holding his hand out for the female to shake. This action seemed to please the girl, who immediately proceeded to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Johnny. I'm Lyn. Lyn of the Lorca. You're safe now."

"What exactly would I be safe from?"- Johnny asked with a raised eyebrow of his own.

Now it was Lyn's turn to look at him in a perplexed way: "You know... the bandits that must have knocked you out cold earlier... causing you to fall unconscious...and hit your head..."

"Oh, right! I even had a towel on my head for that, yeah. I... don't have a bruise on my head or something like that, do I?"

"Everything is all right in that department, I can assure you"- she giggled.

"You have me curious now, though. What brings you to the Sacae Plains all by yourself? Would you share your story with me?"

It was at that moment that Johnny found himself at an impasse: what would he tell her? He couldn't just blab about her being a fictional character or him coming from the "real" world.

Before he had the time to come to a decision he heard the woman's voice from before speaking once again, this time from within him: "Tell her you're a tactician. Trust me."

_"W-w-wait! Are you in my head right now?!"_

"Yes, Johnny. However, do not fret, for I will only appear when you truly need me, like now, for instance, to build your identity. So go ahead and tell her you're a tactician"- the voice prodded gently.

_"What if she asks where I'm from?"_

"You could just not tell her."

_"But wouldn't that be kind of rude?"- Johnny asked with a confused expression._

"Trust me, with all Elibe has to offer, your answer won't be nearly as cryptic as you might think. Anyways, now I have to go. Catch you later!" - the voice concluded. At that moment Johnny could very well imagine her mischievous grin. What on earth had he gotten himself into?

With a mental sigh, Johnny exited his mind to find Lyn giving him an impatient look.

"Well?"- Lyn asked.

"Uhm... you see... I'm a tactician. A very good one!"- the boy announced with a proud grin on his face.

This took Lyn by surprise, and, with her eyebrow raised once again, the girl said: "Uh... I see. Aren't you a little too young to be a military tactician?"

_Military tactician? The hell did she get that from? Wait... don't tell me that's the only kind of tactician they have here! Damn it! I don't know anything about military warfare! What do I do now?! …_

_Bingo!_

_Now... to answer sounding sure of myself..._

Grin still in place, the boy answered: "Yes. Yes, I am."

_I wonder if she will get that reference... probably not, huh... Oh, well..._

"Alright, don't really know how things work where you come from, so I won't judge. But still"- the girl said while getting up from her bed to go towards the bookcase on the other side of the room. Now, as she was rummaging through the books she proceeded to ask worriedly: "isn't that a bit of an odd profession for someone your age, though? Now that I think about it, where are you even from, anyway? Bern?"

_Huh? Bern? That must be another place on this continent..._

"Sorry... can I please just not tell you?"- the boy asked embarrassedly putting a hand behind his head.

Seems that Lyn got what she was looking for. In her left hand was a book with a little girl wearing a dress similar to hers with "Recipes for little Sacaeian girls" written on the cover, and a long wooden spoon in her right one. Dejectedly, she eventually responded with a mere "Oh" before heading towards the entrance of the room.

"W-wait! W-where are you going?"- the boy asked shakily, afraid of being left alone in that unfamiliar place.

"Outside"- was her curt answer.

_Oh no! Did I offend her? I didn't mean to! Gosh, why do I always have to make a fool of myself in front of somebody? Damn social awkwardness!_

Johnny noticed that the girl had exited during his inner turmoil, so he went ahead and followed Lyn's example by stepping foot outside...


	3. Outside

To say Johnny was amazed would be an understatement: he was astonished by the woods he found himself in! Hundreds of trees lay all around him, with the birds' happy chirps echoing around the area and the sun rays occasionally managing to crawl through the leaves belonging to the tall trees towering the area.

Stupefied, he turned back around and found himself staring at a...tent? Was that what he and Lyn had been staying in this whole time?...

_Wait, Lyn! Where is she?_

Frantic with worry, the boy started taking steps to the left of where he currently was. After some walking, he could now make out some footsteps in the dirt.

That's weird, why hadn't he seen any before that moment?

Maybe he was too used to the concrete back home. After all, he had never had to look for someone in this type of environment before.

The boy proceeded along the dirt path for a little bit (exactly how much he was unable to tell since that damn woman voice or whatever thingy took his watch from him without his consent before dumping him here!) until he slowly exited the woods to find himself in front of a small lake.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!"- were Johnny's thoughts as he looked beyond the lake, whose water was a shiny clear blue, to see miles and miles of green colored grass on the other side of the lake, the same green that he had always drawn in Art hour at school to represent something akin to Mario's Grasslands, his favorite landscape, ahead of him.

At that moment Johnny truly felt at peace, as though he was back at grandma's, hanging out with his cousins in the grass fields surrounding their village, watching over the cows, who would graze around the field, the bells attached at their necks resounding in the pure alongside their mooing, untouched air that could be breathed in that green paradise, perennially kissed by the sun that would stay in the bright azure sky for days on end.

The boy briefly wondered if this was his same sun, his same sky...

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"- a soft voice asked from his right, making the boy jump in fright.

"Lyn! You scared me! Where were you?! When did you ever get here for that matter?!"- Johnny asked frantically. Had he seriously been so distracted that he hadn't noticed?

Soon he heard Lyn laugh again.

"Sorry for earlier, it's just..."- Lyn started, not sure how to continue.

"No. I should be the one saying sorry. You have a right to know about... strangers you take the time to heal and bring over to your place, after all."- the boy conceded.

"No, no, don't feel pressured to tell me. It's just that I've been alone for quite some time now..."- she started to explain, by now having a lost look in her eyes, as if she was remembering events from long ago.

"But, don't you have any family?"- the boy asked, genuinely confused.

This seemed like the wrong thing to say because Johnny could now see tears were threatening to come out of her eyes. In spite of this, she seemed to be able to hold them back at the last second.

"Come on, Johnny. Follow me: I-I'm going to take you to a good spot where I often have l-lunch."- Lyn managed to say while also ignoring his question in the meantime before she sprinted towards a tree that stood near the lake, the only tree in the clearing that the boy could see. He took slight notice of the blanket that hung on one of the branches before returning to the situation at hand.

Unsure of himself, Johnny followed her example. How does he always mess up this kind of thing?

As he got closer and closer, the boy saw a cauldron standing above a small circle of flames, supported above by an iron bar, with the young Sacaeian not far away from it.

"Hey, Lyn. Did you start this while I was distracted back there?"- the boy asked, trying to take her away from her melancholic thoughts. He had never had to be the shoulder for someone to cry on, so the young male found himself at a loss as to what to do. He just hoped that this tactic would work.

"Yeah"- she answered, almost in a whisper.

"Man... I only ever saw something like this in movies..."- the boy whispered to himself, still staring in awe at the cauldron.

"Excuse me?"- Lyn turned to him with a confused face.

"Ehm, never you mind... Listen, Lyn, I'm very sorry about earlier. I think I can trust you, so... I'll tell you where I'm from. It may sound stupid, or difficult to believe, but please trust me..."- Johnny begged.

The girl, upon hearing his request, motioned for him to explain with an unreadable expression on her face.

Meanwhile, the boy, who was struggling to form the first sentence, suddenly found his head invaded once again by the mysterious voice.

"I should hope that you're not about to tell her that she is part of a fictional world."

_"Of course I wasn't about to do that. Who do you take me for?"_\- Johnny asked in his head, hoping that the voice would not catch on to his sarcastic tone.

The young boy soon found his hopes obliterated when the woman-like voice started:

"Thank goodness I came here to stop you from giving her absolute false and idiotic information."

"_W-what? What do you mean by false? Isn't this a videogame?"_

"This world is not an imaginary one, Johnny. It exists just like yours, albeit in a different universe. It seems that Elibe's inhabitants wanted to make their world's story known to yours at some point, hence why they chose to manifest Elibe through the form of a videogame, the one Earthlings know as Fire Emblem".

_"Wait... I don't understand... Wasn't this game someone's idea back on Earth? How is this even possible?"_

"Look, I'm already revealing way too many things that are supposed to be kept secret from those who still live. Just explain to her about your world and be done with it"- the voice told him in a patient tone, kind of like a mother explaining basic things to her children.

"_Yeah, because she will most certainly believe me on my claim alone, right? Yeah, didn't think so. I will need some proof, lady, so..would you give me my watch back, pretty please, the one you took from me without my consent?"_\- the boy asked, mentally holding the palm of his hand out expectantly.

At that moment, Johnny worried about whether he had sounded too rude or not. He couldn't help but worry. After all, he didn't want to disrespect the entity that was currently granting his wish, or for her to make a wrong impression of his person.

"Don't fret over it, young man. I did just plunge you into this without adequately allowing you to express your concerns, didn't I?"- she chuckled.

"Here you go."

Next thing he knew, in Johnny's hand a wristwatch had materialised itself, its stripe coloured with a simple blue. He looked at the hands indicating that it was now midday and addressed the voice again:

_"Oh, thank you!"_\- Johnny replied, relieved that she didn't get offended, and that he had his watch back. It wouldn't do to lose such a precious gift.

_"Anyway... sorry to ask, but if my watch won't be proof enough for her, could you also..."_


	4. The soup and the camera

Johnny could not be happier. Now he could tell Lyn exactly where he came from, and even had the proof for it!

As he was preparing to speak again, the boy found that Lyn had gone towards the boiling cauldron, and with a scowl on her face at that.

Oh, no. Had he messed up again? Damn it!

Upon realizing that he had neglected her once more, Johnny advanced fearfully towards the female, who was not-so-calmly turning a spoon around in the cauldron. Courageously, the boy went and tugged at Lyn's left sleeve from behind her:

"L-Lyn! Please don't be mad! I-I'm going to tell you everything, ok?! Please, just listen to me!"- the boy almost screamed, scared that she would stop talking to him permanently.

The girl's only response was to roll her eyes and roughly pull her sleeve away from his hands, after which she returned to deal with what looked like a boiling soup.

"I... I come from another world, Lyn."

This made the female halt in her actions and turn to face him with a face whose color would have put even the most red of tomatoes to shame:

"You immature little brat! Do you have any idea-"

"N-No! I'm serious, look!"- Johnny screamed over her, as he took out a small black camera. As of then, the boy was pretty sure that his flimsy watch was not going to convince her in any way whatsoever, hence why he went straight to the camera hidden in his robe.

"What's that supposed to be? A toy?"- the girl asks scathingly.

"I-It...this thing is a camera. Let me show you how it works."

Before Lyn had any time to react, she was blinded by a white light, making her stumble back, barely managing to avoid knocking the cauldron over.

_Huh... didn't think she'd react so strongly... oops... hmm... maybe I should avoid telling her that she almost fell into it..._

As Johnny was having his internal conundrum, Lyn was taking a minute to recompose herself, muttering under her breath something about regretting not coming here with a sharp knife or a sword in tow.

The young boy, now broken from his thoughts, mentally shuddered at that: this girl seemed perilous enough already when she got angry when disarmed, he did NOT want to deal with her while she held a sharp, pointy object in her hand during one of those moments!

Carefully. the boy inched slowly towards her:

"Uh... sorry about that. Didn't think you'd have that kind of reaction to the flash feature. Anyway"- a grin now on his face- "fear not, for I did not blind you in vain, Lyn!".

A muttered "This better be worth it" was heard just then, making Johnny even more inclined than he already was to placate her. He was pretty sure he had never managed to get a girl to be so mad at him before.

_What a feat_ he thought woefully.

"L-Look! Now I'll show you. Here, we click on the gallery display button, and..."

What the girl saw next shocked her to the core.

"Wow! It's like an instant portrait-maker!"- she joyfully exclaimed while holding the little camera in awe, totally forgetting about the soup that was boiling unattended to in the cauldron right next to them.

"So... Lyn... may I ask you something?"

The aforementioned got out a shrugging "Sure, go ahead." while still looking at herself in the small screen.

"Well… since I am from another world, and I just arrived here... would you mind showing me around?- he asked tentatively.

Upon hearing Johnny's request, the girl raised her head back up and looked at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Uhm... sure, I guess..."

Seeing Lyn so hesitant the idea made the boy frown. Was it really such a bad idea? Or was it maybe that even she found him too annoying to spend time with?

"Hey, If you don't want to, that's all right, you know. I could always just go by myself, really. It's no big deal."- he reassured her with both of his hands raised.

Lyn must have seen the crestfallen look on his face because she was quick to reply: "Hey, whatever you're thinking, just stop, ok? It was not my intention to offend you. It's just that... your proposition caught me by surprise."

The next part was said more hesitantly, allowing for her face to show some emotion again: "You see, I've been living out here by myself for quite a while... It would be quite a pleasure to show you around, actually"- she ended with a small smile.

"Where would you like to visit first? Ooh, I know!"- the girl, screamed, almost making the camera fall.

Johnny dove for it immediately. It was soon in his hands again, however Lyn barely paid any mind to the fact that only Johnny's quickness saved her precious "portrait-maker", as she was now walking back and forth between the boy and the boiling cauldron, while speaking excitedly about all of the places she could show her... patient(?), guest(?)... whatever, didn't really matter at the moment.

"Let's see, there are the Kava Falls, the Zupa Hot Spring, Limon City, the Ograja Forest, what with its particularly coloured trees and all... there are so many things that I-"

"Lyn... the soup..."- the boy tried to warn her about the cauldron's contents, which by now seemed to be ready to shoot out everywhere because of the excessive amount of heat, but no avail. The young woman kept going, undaunted:

"What's that? Oh, don't worry about it: at the Zupa Hot Spring those who go there don't literally immerse themselves in soup, you know. Honestly, don't let the name fool you..."

It was at that moment that understanding had crossed her features: "Oh, no! The soup!"

She hurried back to the cauldron and set out the fire by spilling water on it with a dark green-coloured bucket that Johnny had failed to see before. Thankfully, the water was enough to extinguish the fire, allowing both him and Lyn to breathe their sighs of relief.

The boy, hoping to ascertain the condition of the soup, got close to get a look at it from above. After tossing the empty bucket away, Lyn was quick to join beside him.

"I mean no offense, Lyn, but... is this what the soup is supposed to look like?"- he asked unsurely upon seeing the black colour of the soup.

If Johnny's camera had been recording from inside the cauldron, the video feed would have shown Lyn's face turning towards him with a smile that belonged to someone who desperately hoped that their hogwash would not be seen through.

"Of course it is, Johnny. It's a recipe right here in my book."- she explained, the book in her right hand.

"Oh? Would you show me the page then, please? I'm really curious to see what an Elibean book, actually."- Johnny asked while grinning.

"Uhm... sure. Tell you what! If you go back to my tent and bring here two spoons, and four bowls, I'll show you some of my favorite recipes."- the girl said, hoping that he would rise to the bait.

"Ok, then. Here I go. I'll be back in a jiffy!"- Johnny announced as he started to sprint through the clearing.

Just as Lyn was about to breathe a sigh of relief the boy turned back around all of a sudden when he was almost back at the woods:

"Just so you know, I'm definitely not willing to go back to fetch those things just because you need to find the page to the recipe again! I'm doing it purely out of the goodness of my heart!"

As he headed back to the tent, Lyn went to prepare their eating spot by laying down a blanket that she had left on a nearby branch, as well as preparing a surprise for him...

-O-

"Wow, I had never tasted a soup quite like this one before. It was very..." the boy began with uncertainty as he drank up the rest of the soup from his bowl. Lyn had just put hers down when she gave him all of her attention. Said attention included a mischievous expression that was starting to give him the creeps.

Uh oh. Where had that bucket come from? Had he really been so foolish as to not notice it standing between Lyn's back and the tree when he had returned and had been all but ordered to sit down on the side farthest from the tree while she had taken the opposite side as if to hide something behind her?

He could see that he was not the only one who seemed to be on edge if Lyn's posture was any indication. She looked as if she was ready to strike, and had been expecting just the right opportunity to do so:

"Please, go on. I dare you. I won't get offended. Go right ahead."

"Hey, now. I was just going to say... unexpected, yeah, that's it. Unexpected! There is no need to threaten me, you know. W-wait!"

The boy was on his feet in an instant. Even though he was now standing on his feet, while Lyn had yet to even rise from the floor, he distinctly felt as though she was still at an advantage if he were to try to make a run for it, what with the bucket now in her hands.

"Why is that bucket full of water? Where did you even get it? I could swear it wasn't here before."

"It's not my fault if you were so fascinated with the cauldron back there that you barely spared the tree branches a glance."- Lyn shrugged.

"Hey, now. That trick won't work on me! I know that the only thing that was hanging on the branch was this blanket, and so do you!"

"Oh, Johnny. My dear, little guest-" Lyn began as she stood up so quickly that he hadn't even had the time to react.

Next thing he knew his whole body was drenched in ice-cold water, courtesy of the now-empty bucket sitting in the hands of a smug-looking Sacaeian.

"That will teach you not to criticize my cooking abilities."

"But, Lyn! Come on! That's so unfair!"- Johnny exclaimed as he tried to shake off some of the water from his robe._ On what grounds did she dare splash him with cold water… wait a second…_

"Hey, did you not find the recipe on your book when I went back, anyway?"- he said with a frown.

"Well… it was there… here… you can see it right on this page."

She held out the page in question for him to see, and the recipe described on it did indeed appear to correspond with what they had just eaten, yet something about the whole situation did not entirely convince him…

"Then… if the recipe depicted right on this page is the same one that you cooked… why did you just throw water on me?!"

As he looked her in the eyes, waiting for Lyn to explain, it seemed as if there had been an inner battle happening within her, and that a victor had eventually come on top. The victory might as well have been a good one because the look of relief on her face as she answered his question was unparalleled:

"Because yes, while it was indeed the recipe in question, you, Johnny, are forgetting something."

"Oh, yeah? And what would that be?"- he asked skeptically.

"The flashing light from earlier almost blinded me. Imagine if all of my hard work with our soup would have been ruined, all because you tried to prank me without taking your surroundings into account!"- she finished with a hand on her chest, as if to emphasize the calamity that they had narrowly managed to avoid.

The boy was left utterly gobsmacked at this. It was only after a second of recollection that he gathered the strength to retort:

"What?… Just what?… You're just playing me for a fool now. You could not possibly hold a grudge against me because of that! You got all excited about your precious "portrait-maker", as you put it. You cannot possibly expect me to believe-"

"A woman never forgets, Johnny, never..."- Lyn said in a tone that might have made all of the fortune-tellers that he had seen in the amusement parks in his area become green with envy… Sweet, now he felt just a little homesick! Thanks, Lyn!

"Yeah, sure… I think I'll let you get away with that this time. You are really bad at lying and-"

"Johnny, shh..."- Lyn said in a whispering voice.

"W-wah… come on! There's no need to shush me just because I'm r-"

Lyn, apparently not one of those types who liked to repeat themselves twice, did not speak again, opting instead to rapidly cover his mouth with her hand.

The boy tried to ask what was going on, but before he managed to even attempt it, Lyn whispered surreptitiously:

"Johnny, please. Be quiet. Look over there. On the other side of the lake."

He was quick to do as she asked. Yet, he could not for the life of him understand what was the problem. All he could see was two men… wearing only red pants… each one carrying their axe… who appeared to be heading towards a red and white building in the distance… Oh…

"Lyn, are they any trouble?"- he asked curiously.

Some seconds passed, and he had gotten no answer from Lyn as of yet.

"Lyn?"

Seeing that he was ignored, again, he decided to turn towards her. If earlier she had appeared tense and ready to attack with the bucket, now Lyn looked even more dangerous.

"They must have come down from the Bern Mountains! They must be planning on raiding the local villages. I... I have to stop them! If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own."- she whispered beneath her breath.

Then, as if remembering her guest's existence, she spoke to him, not taking her eyes off those men in the distance for an instant. At this point, Johnny doubted that she was even blinking.

"Johnny, you'll be safe here, ok?"

"What? No! I'm not letting you go there by yourself. I want to help too!"

"What? You want to help? Well, can you use a weapon?"- she asked with a tone which seemed to imply that she already knew the answer.

"Well, no… but, didn't I tell you earlier that I was a tactician?"

He really hoped that his fake proclamation would come in handy. Yet, it seemed that his hopes were destined to be dashed if the sluggishness with which she said the next words were any indication:

"Yes, you did, but… was it the truth? You know, since you are from another world and everything-"

"Come on, Lyn. You wound me. How could I possibly come up with an excuse like that all by myself if your tent was the first thing I saw when I landed here?"- he said, hoping that it might erase any doubt she had about his claim from her mind.

"... Very well. We'll go together! Now, quick! Follow me back to the trees. We'll come out on the other side of the lake."

_Was this girl serious?! She hadn't even finished the last sentence and she had took off sprinting back towards the trees!_

Johnny took off after her in a hurry, hoping that she would at least wait for him before exiting on the other side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go.  
This was the last chapter I had available for publishing as of today. From now on each future chapter has yet to be written. Until then, be sure to hit me with your thoughts and opinions in the comments, as well as leave kudos!


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